Emails Trails and Dangerous Reliance on Computers

This weekend brought us yet another chapter in the saga of Mrs Clinton, her manipulation of the Democratic National Committee brought out into the open by WIKILEAKS --and organization I used to not be too positive about but now view as one of the only "not bought and paid for" large scale news organizations in the country and world--and how many members of the DNC collaborated with Mrs Clinton in rigging the nomination process for that party.  This on the heels of the clear mis-use of private email servers by Clinton when she was Secretary of State.

Beyond my anger at her value-less run for office---this episode got me thinking about just how regularly communications that might have transpired a few years ago would have been handled, and why arrogance combined with foolishness now exposes the United States --and all of us--to more danger than we've been led to believe. 

Beyond emails, so many of our important "systems" --from national defense to water supply to sewer systems to power grids and many more--are "coordinated" by computers.  The last 4 presidents ( at least ) --all the members of the U.S. Congress over the past 30-35 years--countless governors and so many other municipal, regional, state, and federal government leaders rely on these computer systems to accomplish so many important daily tasks.  It seems government at all levels has done it's best to eliminate people from the process, and REAL day to day operation / oversight of critical systems. 

American arrogance is once again placing all of us in danger.  Our government officials apparently share a belief that "Our systems and ability to make them hacker-proof" exceeds the skills of hackers anywhere.  So, out there in our own nation, as well as in Russia, Pakistan, China, North Korea, and throughout then world there are 16 year olds hacking into all sorts of sites and systems!   America hasn't had the definitive edge in software for years--and certainly doesn't now---but we act like we do--that is --our officials act like we do!

Clearly, on all levels-local, regional, state, and federal, we NEED to address not only computer security--but I'd suggest that taking so many of these systems and communications off computers---handling process through manual function--and communications the "old fashioned" way--in person discussions --coded communications--secure telephones --paper files --would make this nation much stronger and safer.   Yes, this might be a prescription for the recruitment -by many nations--of spies ( also the old fashioned situation )---but better to defend against spies than kids ( and others of course ) around the world tapping into our systems and communications "secrets." 

Which brings us back to what prompted me to think about this in the first place--Mrs Clinton and her history with email.  Not only did she clearly violate state department procedures when Secretary of State --but she demonstrated a dangerous arrogance ( and she is not alone ) about how "secure" --email --under any conditions--can be made secure.  

Then, she and her cohorts do the same thing over the course of a year or two with emails with the Democratic National Committee --email communications with the Chair of that committee and many of it's members--outlining how to rig the nominating process against Senator Sanders --and reportedly describing ethnic and racial "groups' in not-so-pleasant or respectful ways."  

The value to all of us --and thank you again to WIKILEAKS ---is that even her most ardent supporters at least have to see how she actually thinks and feels.  The other value to all of us is to see how even years later--after being called to task about her usage of emails when Secretary of State --Clinton learned nothing.  Her arrogance apparently knows no bounds.  Her foolishness in relying on email is extraordinary!  

No longer is there any concern on her part--or so many others in government and politics --about other people being smart enough to hack into email.  Whether that's born of arrogance --or simply foolishness--should concern us all!!  Do you really want people holding office who don't understand that nothing on email is REALLY secure?   Communications in the future--if she is elected--would put this nation and all of us in great peril.  

On our local and state - wide operations--we need to all address this concern about safe systems and communications with our officials.  We go around acting like we know it all--are above it all---and the WIKILEAKS revelations should demonstrate --yet again--that's simply not true.